The present invention is related to a resilient monolithic joint for collapsing a structure to a reduced volume for storage, and subsequently restoring the structure to its useful configuration without requiring the application of an external force. More particularly, the present invention is a joint comprised of a piece of resilient, deformable material attached at one end to a rigid member and at its other end to a structural node. The material can be deformed when it is desired to collapse the member and, when it is desired to deploy the member, will return to its original shape in the absence of the application of an external force.
It is ofttimes necessary to transport a structure that occupies considerable volume. Where space on the vehicle being used to transport the structure is at a premium, e.g., a launch vehicle for reaching a space station, it is desirable to collapse the structure to occupy a considerably less volume and subsequently deploy the members to re-form the original structure without undue difficulty or requiring tools that would also occupy space as well as add mass.
One approach is to construct a joint of two parts where one part rotates relative to the other by means of sliding contact, for example, a ball and socket or a pin and clevis. The two parts require a clearance between them to allow for the desired relative rotation. The inherent problem is that, for a deployable structure using a plurality of such joints, clearance between each pair of joint parts is cumulative. This creates the problem known as “dead band,” where movement at one end of a structure is not communicated to the other end until the intervening clearances are taken up. Where structural tolerances are small, “dead band” is a significant problem.
Furthermore, such joints require the application of force to deploy the collapsed members and re-form the original structure, i.e., at least as much force as was required to originally collapse each member. Deployment may also require the use of tools. For terrestrial applications, the foregoing may be considered as inconveniences; however, where the deployment is to be extraterrestrial, both of the foregoing present serious drawbacks.
In view of the aforementioned problems with two-piece joints, a monolithic joint comprised of a compliant material has been used. An example of such a joint is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,609. A further refinement is to use a joint material that is resilient and returns to its original shape without requiring the application of an external force. Examples of this approach are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,386,128; 5,196,857; 6,175,989 and 6,772,479. However, both such joints fail to ensure that the maximum design strain of the joint material is not exceeded when the attached member is rotated to an extreme position. This shortcoming could cause the joint to fail.
There a need in the art for a joint that avoids the “dead band” problem inherent to two-piece joints, as well as overcomes the shortcoming of monolithic joints in failing to ensure that the strain design limit of the joint material is not exceeded. The present invention is a monolithic joint that, by its intrinsic nature, avoids the “dead band” problem, while ensuring that the strain of the joint material does not exceed its design limit. Furthermore, the work expended to bend the joint material is stored and subsequently used to restore the joint to its neutral position without requiring the application of an external force. The present invention thus fulfills the aforementioned needs in the art.